I ran across this old P38 I'll send a picture when I get back to the house this thing is almost older than Aviation LOL. It's a P38 profile I'm with twin 15 LA's on it. I'm guessing that it was manufactured somewhere at the late seventies early eighties. Not a big plane somewhere in the 40 plus Wings band area I'm guessing like a Balsa USA kit or something I've just never seen anything like it

I think it is a Great Planes P-38, was only sold for a short time then discontinued, which is unfortunate. Now with electric power, would probably be a hit except that ARF's have taken over kits in a big way. See http://www.greatplanes.com/manuals/discontinued.html, a little past half way down you'll find Profile 38 - GPMA0487. It has links for parts list, manual and tech notes.

I recently built two of those. I gave one away and kept the other. I had OS 25s in both and the thing is an absolute blast to fly. One still survives as I lost an engine when I was low and slow and didn't have enough speed to get it down safely. She cartwheeled and came apart like a 4th of July fireworks pinwheel. I was kind of sad about that cause it was one of my favorites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sjf1ZWwW_Y

On a sidebar.....I used the original plans from the GP Profile and upscaled it and built this using the same basic design but not profile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDpWCEC5ilw

david68:

That balancing technique gives me the heebie-jeebies!

I would never use it unless I REALLY trusted the person who told me it

I balance all my big planes with 3-scale technique

If you ever find that tape, please have it professionally copied and sell me one. I've never had plans or instructions or tape or anything on mine

I flew my CBA 7" back from the LE at the edge of gondola based on extrapolations from other smaller 38's

Jeff, whose CBA flies like a dream, heard from sources close to the designer that it should be 5.5" back so based on watching him fly I re-set mine to there last summer

As I said it hasn't flown there yet. I'm hoping the Fowlers and the new CG will make it land nicer

I had to put 2 lbs lead in the far forward nose, then pack all 4 batteries right behind that to move the CG

I always balance my 38's with the gear down. I know it moves back 1/4" or so with the gear up, but at high speed and altitude, I don't carehttp://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2203698

Thanks For the help Kram. If I find that tape i will copy it and send to you free of charge. Im pretty sure that's how they showed it balencing with the jack stands, but I like your way better. I may have that tape at my friends house who also had a CBA p38 but I would never fly it for him with the old super tiger 3000s with the OS carbs. His plane was beautiful done up in the lefty Gardner scheme. If felt it was to much of a risk with glow motors even thoe that is the way they origanly flew them. He ended up selling it as he is in his mid 80s now. The video we had also showed a man I believed named Colonel Thatcher flying one but one super tiger flamed out and it cartwheeled. My friend still has a CBA tiger cat hanging from his ceiling we may play with to, but it's old and heavy.

Dave

Yeah, Dave I wished we lived closer: we could egg each on at the flight field

P-38 pilots are rare and getting rarer

I've got two big 38's to fly this summer and several other fast twins so there's bound to be some carnage

It drives me NUTS to watch the flight batteries go dead on these beauties because I don't get around to flying them often enough.

There IS a problem with P-38's and glow engines: 1) two strokes aren't reliable enough, and 2) configuration of the cowl almost demands inverted engine placement

And anybody who tells you they can make TWO inverted glow engines work reliably enough to power a P-38 is either lying or deluded.

Unless you've actually had the experience, it's hard to understand how FAST a Lightning will go from level flight to engine-out to death spiral.

ALL my other twins are a lot easier to fly on one engine

I got >100 flights out of both my most recent VQ-38's but I made the scale sacrifice of side-mounting the engines, so they died for reasons other than engine-out

Post a link to flight video when you go up. I'll do the same

I had a Glass by Price P38 with OS 61's inverted...took forever to get them to run inverted even with onboard glow. When we finally got them synced and running they ran great.
My friend did the maiden for me and very glad he did I was totally nervous.....
Here is the link to the maiden, and even though it tipped stalled on landing the 61's pulled it through the sky with no problems, unfortunately lost it in the Great South Bay off Long Island, not sure if it was an engine problem or an aileron servo gave way.

Now working? on a T28 Trojan and trying to decide if I want to try another P38.... I saved the engines after the water crash so.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3AP...are_video_user

Larry

Question for the group. Is there a kit and/or plans out there that would be a good fit for a pair of DLE 20s?

Hi All,
Bit the bullet again and back with P38s..
Some shots of my refurb..

Cheers GBhttp://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2206659http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2206660http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2206661http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2206662

Nice precision scale work, Jetjockgb. Gives a good idea how the real thing looked, since there are so few of them around now.

Thanks George,
Yes just love the p38,hoping to build a bigger one soon,, here is a link to refurb..
https://www.facebook.com/pg/TigerMod...74905226032482

Cheers Graham

Hay Jetjockgb,
That is a work of art...beautiful and shows true craftsmanship, skill and patience. Just amazing.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

Hay Kram,
What did you power your VQ P-38's with.

I have been blessed to have two VQ P-38 kits...one kit I acquired four years ago, but it had two Lt. engine booms and both were broken in half-at the tail. I had no right side boom in the kit at all so I stored the kit and tried to find two new VQ P-38 booms. I was able to acquire one of Legion Models new P-38's...its a green one with evasion stripes, and he sold me two new VQ P-38 booms too... : ) I ordered and received two DLE 20RA's...one is counter rotating. I have two S.T. G 90's going into my older kit. Sierra landing gear for the new model and a set of VQ P-38 electric retracts to go into the older model and to be honest I am not a real fan of VQ electric retracts, but I will see how these perform.

I made a 90" N.P. P-38 ARF, with a removable stab and retracts. This last one has side mounted engines and glow plug re-heat on board. Bison Mufflers...and my two .61 K & B Twister's have Perry carbs. I have a dead slow solid idea with both engines and a very close top end too ( I used an old reliable Ugly Stick to properly break in each engine and tune). I finished this model over two years ago...and I have yet to fly it. I promised myself to fly it this season...so I will-it took a while to remake and it looks so nice too. I also have a couple of u-build kits of the P-38 and so you can say that I love this model. I lost all my models (one Royal and two Wing kit built P-38 models) over the years to inflight engine failure. Flippen model with will surprise you just how quick it will turn on its back...and its a really nice and tight stall spin too. If your not 250 feet in the air...its a guaranteed re-kit. My wing kits had C. Lee K & B .40's...great dependable engines for the Wing kit and if I didn't forget about the time...and not run out of gas...I might still have one, with the living.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

Looking forward to pics and video!

Took a break after getting married but back now. Must have picked a winner. I now have a set of Zirolli P38 plans she gave me for Christmas and a P51' for anniversary. New Shop almost done and starting build list. DISCOVERY. I can't find a set of fiberglass booms!!! Any sources? Apparently the guy that was making them retired.
On a different note. PAU does have a nice ... No excellent twin 50cc P38 on the back burner. I would commit a substansial deposit on one but it would require many wing to do same to make business sense to move forward. Any interest?

I called Ziroli directly and was told that the guy retired, but they planed to start making them when they could find a replacement for him. I'm also VERY interested in getting a set. More for structural reasons than anything as I understand if you follow the plans, ply and balsa will crack just aft of the wing...

This is a slow fun relaxing build. I can wait. I too have seen boom fractures. That said, Kevlar or carbon I could make work work. But prefer the glass.

Looks awesome! What kit is this taking the 35's.

That's a Yellow AC with DLE's. Flies awesome, great power to weight and lands like a trainer.
I need to finish off the details and paint the insignias. She has 8 flights so far and I really gave her a work out on the last one.
Looking forward to this season!

Take a look at the KMP P-38. I'm flying a 60 size TF P-51 with a 20RA and it does great. Two of them in this size P-38 should be pretty awesome. This ARF should still be around.
The Royal kit is too small.

Too bad Yellow is not still around.
looks like VQ is re releasing theirs with some updates.
​​​​​​​https://vqwarbirds.com/product/vq-p-38-lightning-83-arf-46-epgp-silver/#prettyPhoto%5Bproduct-gallery%5D/1

I fly the TF P51 with a 20RA as well. I believe I have seen an 83 inch version and a 90 inch version of the KMP. The 83 inch is rated .46 I think and VQ looks like everything is engineered to be EP. I haven't found much available yet on the KMP, but I 'll keep my eye out, thank you.

There might be a KMP ARF for sale in the marketplace right now

I've seen this plane for sale on a couple forums I think. I have trouble pulling the trigger at that price mainly because of concerns over the size being too small for 20's and honestly some negative comments on it's construction. I am handcuffed without the ability to put my hands on the model and satisfy myself over the "unknowns" and I don't see where anyone has actually put 20's together with this kit. The recommendations are much smaller. I did put a 20 in my 60 size Top Flite like you did and your right it fly's awesome but I knew others had done it and there were some serious mods to get the weight distribution right. I wonder about the 38 and as tight as it is if 20's would be just too much weight up front to deal with on this size kit.

I think I have seen some old posts for a 90 inch kit, if I'm not imagining it, that would be a more comfortable size for the engine combination. Thank you for your help because I am serious about wanting to do this project and I welcome a serious conversation from anyone with first hand knowledge or resources I can go check out.